Karol Guevara and the Two Affectionate Panda Bears

1 A Fairy Tale by Betty

2 Once upon a time there was a Warrior girl called Karol Guevara. She was on the way to see her friend Camilo Soler, when she decided to take a short cut through Bolivar Forest. It wasn't long before Karol got lost. She looked around, but all she could see were trees. Nervously, she felt into her bag for her favourite toy, Mr. Winnie, but Mr. Winnie was nowhere to be found! Karol began to panic. She felt sure she had packed Mr. Winnie. To make matters worse, she was starting to feel hungry. Unexpectedly, she saw an affectionate panda bear dressed in a blue coat disappearing into the trees. \"How odd!\" thought Karol. For the want of anything better to do, she decided to follow the peculiarly dressed panda bear. Perhaps it could tell him the way out of the forest. Eventually, Karol reached a clearing. In the clearing were three houses, one made from

3 beans, one made from chocolates, and one made from donuts. Karol could feel her tummy rumbling. Looking at the houses did nothing to ease her hunger. \"Hello!\" she called. \"Is anybody there?\" Nobody replied. Karol looked at the roof on the closest house and wondered if it would be rude to eat somebody else's chimney. Obviously it would be impolite to eat a whole house, but perhaps it would be considered acceptable to nibble the odd fixture or lick the odd fitting, in a time of need. A cackle broke through the air, giving Karol a fright. A witch jumped into the space in front of the houses. She was carrying a cage. In that cage was Mr Winnie! \"Mr Winnie!\" shouted Karol. She turned to the witch. \"That's my toy!\" The witch just shrugged. \"Give Mr Winnie back!\" cried Karol. \"Not on your nelly!\" said the witch. \"At least let Mr Winnie out of that cage!\" Before she could reply, two affectionate panda bears rushed in from a footpath on the other side of the clearing. Karol

4 recognised the one in the blue coat that she'd seen earlier. The witch seemed to recognise him too. \"Hello Big Panda Bear,\" said the witch. \"Good morning.\" The panda bear noticed Mr Winnie. \"Who is this?\" \"That's Mr Winnie,\" explained the witch. \"Ooh! Mr Winnie would look lovely in my house. Give it to me!\" demanded the panda bear. The witch shook her head. \"Mr Winnie is staying with me.\" \"Um... Excuse me...\" Karol interrupted. \"Mr Winnie lives with me! And not in a cage!\" Big Panda Bear ignored her. \"Is there nothing you'll trade?\" he asked the witch. The witch thought for a moment, then said, \"I do like to be entertained. I'll release him to anybody who can eat a whole front door.\" Big Panda Bear looked at the house made from donuts and said, \"No problem, I could eat an entire house made from donuts if I wanted to.\"

5 \"That's nothing,\" said the next panda bear. \"I could eat two houses.\" \"There's no need to show off,\" said the witch. Just eat one front door and I'll let you have Mr Winnie.\" Karol watched, feeling very worried. She didn't want the witch to give Mr Winnie to Big Panda Bear. She didn't think Mr Winnie would like living with an affectionate panda bear, away from her house and all her other toys. The other one panda bears watched while Big Panda Bear put on his bib and withdrew a knife and fork from his pocket. \"I'll eat this whole house,\" said Big Panda Bear. \"Just you watch!\" Big Panda Bear pulled off a corner of the front door of the house made from chocolates. He gulped it down smiling, and went back for more. And more. And more. Eventually, Big Panda Bear started to get bigger - just a little bit bigger at first. But after a few more fork-fulls of chocolates,

6 he grew to the size of a large snowball - and he was every bit as round. \"Erm... I don't feel too good,\" said Big Panda Bear. Suddenly, he started to roll. He'd grown so round that he could no longer balance! \"Help!\" he cried, as he rolled off down a slope into the forest. Big Panda Bear never finished eating the front door made from chocolates and Mr Winnie remained trapped in the witch's cage. Average Panda Bear stepped up, and approached the house made from donuts. \"I'll eat this whole house,\" said Average Panda Bear. \"Just you watch!\" Average Panda Bear pulled off a corner of the front door of the house made from donuts. She gulped it down smiling, and went back for more. And more. And more. After a while, Average Panda Bear started to look a little queasy. She grew greener... ...and greener.

7 A woodcutter walked into the clearing. \"What's this bush doing here?\" he asked. \"I'm not a bush, I'm a panda bear!\" said Average Panda Bear. \"It talks!\" exclaimed the woodcutter. \"Those talking bushes are the worst kind. I'd better take it away before somebody gets hurt.\" \"No! Wait!\" cried Average Panda Bear, as the woodcutter picked her up. But the woodcutter ignored her cries and carried the panda bear away under his arm. Average Panda Bear never finished eating the front door made from donuts and Mr Winnie remained trapped in the witch's cage. \"That's it,\" said the witch. \"I win. I get to keep Mr Winnie.\" \"Not so fast,\" said Karol. \"There is still one front door to go. The front door of the house made from beans. And I haven't had a turn yet. \"I don't have to give you a turn!\" laughed the witch. \"My game. My rules.\"

8 The woodcutter's voice carried through the forest. \"I think you should give her a chance. It's only fair.\" \"Fine,\" said the witch. \"But you saw what happened to the panda bears. She won't last long.\" \"I'll be right back,\" said Karol. \"What?\" said the witch. \"Where's your sense of impatience? I thought you wanted Mr Winnie back.\" Karol ignored the witch and gathered a hefty pile of sticks. She came back to the clearing and started a small camp fire. Carefully, she broke off a piece of the door of the house made from beans and toasted it over the fire. Once it had cooked and cooled just a little, she took a bite. She quickly devoured the whole piece. Karol sat down on a nearby log. \"You fail!\" cackled the witch. \"You were supposed to eat the whole door.\" \"I haven't finished,\" explained Karol. \"I am just waiting for my food to go down.\" When Karol's food had digested, she broke off another piece of the door made from beans. Once more, she toasted her food over

9 the fire and waited for it to cool just a little. She ate it at a leisurely pace then waited for it to digest. Eventually, after several sittings, Karol was down to the final piece of the door made from beans. Carefully, she toasted it and allowed it to cool just a little. She finished her final course. Karol had eaten the entire front door of the house made from beans. The witch stamped her foot angrily. \"You must have tricked me!\" she said. \"I don't reward cheating!\" \"I don't think so!\" said a voice. It was the woodcutter. He walked back into the clearing, carrying his axe. \"This little girl won fair and square. Now hand over Mr Winnie or I will chop your broomstick in half.\" The witch looked horrified. She grabbed her broomstick and placed it behind her. Then, huffing, she opened the door of the cage. Karol hurried over and grabbed Mr Winnie, checking that her favourite toy was all right. Fortunately, Mr Winnie was unharmed. Karol thanked the woodcutter, grabbed a quick souvenir, and hurried on to meet Camilo. It was starting to get dark.

10 When Karol got to Camilo's house, her friend threw his arms around her. \"I was so worried!\" cried Camilo. \"You are very late.\" As Karol described her day, she could tell that Camilo didn't believe her. So she grabbed a napkin from her pocket. \"What's that?\" asked Camilo. Karol unwrapped a doorknob made from chocolates. \"Pudding!\" she said. Camilo almost fell off his chair. The End